Californnia Medical Marijuana… Not all are so lucky!
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As emotions over medical marijuana and the locations, and numbers of the dispensaries allowed heats up in every city across the state of California… There is still no greater place to live. In one afternoon a properly documented marijuana patients can visit a marijuana doctor, be evaluated, and with 30 min be on his or her way looking for their new favorite medical cannabis club. Of which there are more than a few to choose from.
Tags: cannabis club, dispensaries, medical marijuana, state of california
Pipe, Vaporizers, or Sancks…Which is Best?
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You have an option as to how you want to take medical marijuana. You can inhale marijuana either through smoking it or through a vaporizer. Of course the healthier option is the vaporizer as there is no irritating smoke.
11-hydroxy THC is thought to be four to five times more potent than regular THC. This is why edibles are known to be more potent when compared to inhaled cannabis. Edibles are also thought to be strong sedatives and many patients use them for treatment of insomnia.
Ever heard of a little place called Copenhagen? Well, if you've read any of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, then you are familiar with the city of irrestible Scandinavian charm. Many of us would be freely willing to admit we have no clue where Copenhagen is. That's alright, folks, I'm here to help. Its the capital of Denmark, a cozy homogenous nation of 5 million Danes nestled in between Sweden and Germany on the crossroads of the Baltic and North Seas. Why should you care? Unknowst to many foreigners, and among its treasure trove of cultural and visual delights, Copenhagen has a lovable hippie district known as CHRISTIANIA. Beloved by the Danes for its cute laid-back charm, Christiania also happens to be a great spot for purchasing and enjoying some of the ol' cheeba. Thats right, you can buy joints, hash, and brownies right out in the open, from colorful stands run by a multinational collection of vendors. Is it legal? Its nebulous. Law enforcement has chosen to largely look the other way, except for intermittent crackdowns. Prices vary from about $4 to $12 per joint, and all are color-coded to indicate their price and quality. An abundant variety of hash is also on display, though somewhat less immediately smokable than the joints. Last but certainly not least, there are are edible options, such as cookies and brownies, for the more adventurous (or for those with debilitating asthma).
Why do you need to visit Christiania now? Firstly, yesterday was Christiania's 35th birthday, so there's that. But more importantly, the Danish legislature has put forward a plan to invest a large sum of money in Christiania, razing dozens of existing homes and constructing modern apartments. This could signal a shift in the Danish government's policy of tolerance towards the upstart community and their purveyance of soft drugs. So, here are some quick rules of etiquette and common sense to follow when taking pleasure in the finest green Denmark has to offer:
Do Not:
1. Do Not Run - One of the seemingly peculiar rules of Christiania, the tacit ban on sprinting or dashing about actually has a vital impetus behind it - when someone is spotted running, all the marijuana merchants immediately assume the cops are coming for a crackdown (these supposedly occur routinely, though I lived in Denmark for four months, and never saw one) and rapidly pack up their wares and ship off. You do want to be responsible for a huge buzz kill and many annoyed stoners. Snatching the icky out of the grasp of a pot fiend is not a wise idea. Stick to walking or calm jogging if absolutely neccessary. In fact, just ride your bike around. Don't cause unnecessary panic.
2. Do Not Take Photos - As tempting as it might be to capture the unbelievable panorama of stoner heaven that unfolds in front of you (to boast to your bongmates back at home), please refrain from taking a photograph. In fact, do not even bring a camera into Christiania. If any vendor so much as sees a camera, they are likely to physically wrest it from your grasp and do something unpleasant to it. Think for a moment - would your local street dealer indulge in your urge for permanent archiving in the act of performing a highly illegal and imprisonable act? Well Danes are not dumb. Just take a mental snapshot, and leave without photographic damage.
3. Do Not Smoke in Bars or on the Streets - So you've bought your pretty J and you're itching to get some of that THC in the bloodstream lickety-split. Hold on. Don't just go off strolling down Broadway, sparking up the goods. While Christiania enjoys a quasi-legality when it comes to drug dealing, the rest of Copenhagen is not quite such a nirvana. A particularly bad place to attempt to get high is in bars or clubs, where eagle-eyed employees will toss you out summarily or worse. Smoking in broad daylight is generally frowned upon, since you may have the misfortune of bumping into the 5-0 at any intersection. At the most, smoke only in heavily wooded and secluded public parks (the one next to Norrebro station for example), but in most cases, simply unwrap your shiny new joint tube right in Christiania and do your toking on the premises. In fact, there are some nice benches with a view of the canal that are just begged to be christened. The ambiance is perfect, and you won't spend the night in jail.
4. Do Not be afraid of the Huge Dogs - For some reason, European homeless and bums own some of the world's largest and most terrifying-looking canines. Perhaps the warmth of their enormous shaggy coats somehow compensates for the lack of an official residence. Nonetheless, a large contingent of Ice Age sized dogs is to be found in Christiania and may scare the living daylights out of even the most ardent dog lover. But fear not, these dogs are all bark and no bite; in fact, most of them don't even do much in the way of barking either, preferring to laze about and inhale the pungent fumes of dozens of tourists eagerly lighting up their wares. Putting your hand near their fangs is still not advised, even if the haze of pot smoke affecting your thought processes leads you to do such a foolhardy thing. Also carrying meat in your pockets is strongly discouraged.
Do:
1. Do Be Wary of Edibles - Word of caution to anyone considering eating instead of smoking - do not bite off more than you can chew. Even a seemingly innocuous cookie about the half the size of a fist can do some serious Van Damage to your sense of time and space. The vendors frequently pack a gram or more into a small pastry, and leave the consequences to the buyer. Girls are particularly forewarned, since they seem to have weaker tolerance to ingested THC. Just don't plan any afternoon festivities that involve higher brain functions (for example, differential equations, political debates) or vigorous physical activity. You will be out of commission for a while. That said, if you can set aside some time in your schedule, and you have a reasonable amount of experience with these types of things - get that cookie, lean back, and just enjoy the melodies. Weed soothes even the savage beast.
2. Do Splurge for nicer J's - Sure you can err on the cheap side, and blaze through some joints that will cost you less than a Lincoln. But this is Denmark, the land of Bang & Olufsen and the northern elegance and elitism that comes with being a welfare state. Go ahead and get a joint for 75 kroner (11 bucks), or 100 kroner (16 bucks). The vendors will be delighted to tell you which downtrodden third world nation grew this plant you are about to smoke, and you'll also have a much enhanced smoking session. Not to disparage the 25 kroner joints - one will still leave Christiania a happy man (or gal). You could also get one to save for a special occasion - that big promotion, or your brother-in-law finally earning his B.A. ten years after everyone else. But the extra money will mean a cleaner and more lucid high, you can be sure of that.
3. Do Buy a Shirt! At the terminus of the alley populated by the stalls, there is a semicircle of assorted trailers and clothes racks, with many shirts and belts and jewelry for purchase. Buy something! Not only are you getting a cool keepsake for showing off to the gang back home, you are supporting the local Christiania economy. As you can probably tell, these folks don't exactly have market employable skills, so throw them a bone and snatch up a shirt for your sister and your mother. Keep an eye out for the Bevar Christiania t-shirts with the three yellow dots - this is the district slogan, meaning “Save Christiania!” You can feel like you're sticking it to the man back in the US of A, even if you only cross when the light says WALK. And if one day the inevitable occurs and Christiania shut down, you'll have yourself a piece of history, a priceless piece of memorabilia.
4. Do Eat Danish Pastries - Once you've inhaled like Obama, get ready for a gastronomical adventure the likes of which you have never seen. There are several options for eats once you've purchased and lit up. You could start with a pizza or sausage right in Christiania, although the quality and source of the meat is very suspect. A more enjoyable experience is to be found on the outskirts of the district, where unbelievable pastry and bread shops await to tickle the taste buds. Go ahead and take your time, since the choice is mind boggling. Some classic options are the coffee cake, cinna buns, pretzels, and well…the DANISH. Of course, in Denmark, one would be committing a horribly awkward cultural faux pas by calling the pastry as such. Simply pointing to your desired item of delicacy will do, since most names in Danish are utterly tongue-mangling. Next, as abhorrent as the idea may sound…is McDonalds. In Copenhagen, McD's is not only one of the cheapest culinary options, but also a substantial improvement over its American fare. A promotion once existed of one Big Mac for 15 kroner, or two bucks. One could consider that the European version of the dollar menu. Don't be shy to chow down on some fries and nuggets - it will be packed with Danes anyways. Lastly , there's the multitude of options available on Stroget, the world renowned walking street. All-you-can-eat pizza and chinese take out are two popular options, though intestinal discomfort hours later may result. The most mouth-watering delight is the soft serve ice cream that is a staple of Stroget's food booths. DO not miss this. For about 20 kroner, or three bucks, your sense of taste will have a joy ride of pleasure.
5. Do have a Great Time! Praise those crazy Danes for perpetuating a great enclave like this right in the heart of their downtown.
And thats all! Remember, be safe, be smart, and you'll be laughing in no time.
Tags: medical marijuana, smoke cannabis, treatment of insomnia, vaporizer
Can Cannabis Help My back Pain
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For most back pain doctors use prescription medications like other NSAIDS (like Celebrex) or opiates (like Vicodin or Norco) can be effective at treating pain but can also cause many adverse and unacceptable side effects. The addictive potential of opiates is very concerning to patients who struggle with chronic pain and need relief; it is this concern that leads patients to consider using medical marijuana, a very effective treatment for chronic back pain.
If Michigan citizens have their way, Marijuana will be legal for those with chronic or debilitating diseases. Medically certified citizens would be able to possess and use marijuana legally under a new proposal on its way to the constituency in November.
State elections panel certified petitions with 377,975 signatures backing the plan, well more than the 304,000 minimum needed to put the initiative before voters if the Legislature fails to act on it within the next 40 days.
Current Michigan law prohibits marijuana use for any reason. But nearly a dozen other states authorize medicinal use by patients.
The Michigan proposal would permit patients to use and grow small amounts of marijuana for relief from pain associated with cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis and other diseases. Patients would be required to register and carry cards so law enforcement personnel could tell who was a registered patient with permission to legally use the drug.
According to Detroit News, voters in at least five Michigan cities - Ann Arbor, Detroit, Ferndale, Flint and Traverse City - have passed ballot initiatives allowing for medicinal marijuana use. The practice has been controversial in California, where voters authorized the sale of small amounts of marijuana at licensed co-ops. Those operations have been targeted by U.S. law enforcement agencies under federal law.
If Law is Passed, Where will Michigan buy their Marijuana from?
Many wonder if this has been thoroughly researched. The Michigan statute does not address the question of where the marijuana would originate from and it does not sanction sales. Without a complete plan is this a disaster in the making?
The Michigan Coalition is backed by the national organization Marijuana Policy Project. It provided almost all of the $1.1 million used to arrange the campaign and gather petition signatures.
Several reports, including studies conducted with government grown pot from Mississippi suggest patients get more relief from smoking pot than from prescriptions, with fewer side effects. The FDA continues to block many human scientific studies on the medical use of marijuana.
Opposition to medical marijuana has always come from law enforcement, especially national drug enforcement agencies. Surprisingly, thus far, no resistance to the Michigan crusade for Medical Marijuana use has surfaced.
Topical Application of Marijuana
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Marijuana can be used topically (on the skin) to relieve pain from certain conditions. The medication can be a balm, lotion, ointment or rubbing alcohol solution. This is not a new use for marijuana. In fact prior to the time when most many patients became available and people only had plants to use for medication, many patients would soak marijuana leaves in alcohol and apply them as a poultice to an arthritic or swollen joint. It is not known how the topical treatment works as researchers have not fully studied how the medication passes through the skin.
Over the course of my life, I have tried more hand and body lotions than I care to admit. Hempz Herbal Moisturizer is without a doubt my favorite. I have used more expensive name brand lotions, but they cannot compare to the moisturizing ability and wonderful fragrance of this product.
I was introduced to Hempz lotion by my best friend. She had a bottle of it sitting on her dresser, and curious, I picked up the bottle for a better look. I was surprised to see a label which contained a picture of what looked to be a marijuana leaf! Quite intrigued by now, I sampled the lotion. The fragrance alone, which can be described as banana mixed with a fresh floral, would have sold me on the product, but it was what the lotion did for my skin that impressed me the most. It is billed as an “all day moisturizer”, all day in this case meaning 12 hours, and it more than lives up to this claim. The ingredient behind this intense moisture is pure hemp seed oil and extract.
Hemp is the common name for plants of the genus Cannabis. It is normally used to describe strains of the plant that are cultivated strictly for non-drug use. So, though it looks like a marijuana leaf on the front of the bottle, it is a hemp leaf! The leaves look very similar, so it is easy to confuse the two. Industrial hemp is a different breed of the cannabis plant. Hemp contains less than .3% of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana which gives its users a “high” or “buzz”. So, hemp could be compared to non-alcoholic beer in that it has no illicit use whatsoever. Hemp oil is rather unique. It contains rich sources of essential fatty acid that are necessary for the body to function properly. Few oils can boast of the ability hemp oil has to absorb easily and quickly into the skin. This is because the EFAs are present in exactly the right ratio for optimum absorption into the body. Hempz also contains shea butter and ginseng, plus vitamins A, C, and E.
I was amazed at how long the effects of Hempz seemed to last, both the fragrance and the moisturization. My skin actually felt soft and smooth a lot longer than twelve hours. It isn't often that a beauty product does MORE than it advertises, and it's a joy when you find one that does. Hempz is a superior moisturizing lotion with unusual ingredients that made a dramatic difference in my skin.
I purchase my Hempz lotion from here.
Tags: Marijuana Lotion, marijuana medicine
Medical Cannabis and Insomnia
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Some patients find that cannabis keeps them awake but using a good Indica strain will combat this. As many patients know, illness, pain, the ability to recover and to have a decent quality of life all improve with sleep.
When I hear the name of President Reagen I think about the hard nosed fool who brought the unconstitutional war on drugs on the American people. Billions of dollars are spent each year hunting down, arresting, persecuting (not prosecuting) drug “criminals”, and locking them up. Giant government agencies were formed sucking up vast amounts of taxpayer money and all for nothing.
First off, what someone does to their own body is their own problem. If someone wants to shoot heroin, or smoke marijuana then let them. Freedom of Choice. Government should have no decision in the matter. Take a look at the prohibition on alcohol and what problems that solved. None at all, it just created problems. Al Capone and his hoodlums made tons of money off of bootleg booze and violence erupted because of it. The same is true for the drug trade today and has been for the last 30 years. Crack cocaine and crystal meth never would have been invented if there was no drug prohibition. People couldn't afford the good expensive cocaine and thus had to learn to cut it and mix with household chemicals, same with meth. The government effectively drove up prices and created cheap, highly addictive, highly volatile new drugs.
With that aside, all drugs don't even need to be legal, but they all should be. If marijuana alone was made legal, many of the US economic woes would be solved. This plant should be hailed and glorified not banned. The buds can be used for medicine. The stems/stalks are used to make clothes, paper, oils, lotions, and much more. This plant has never directly killed anyone. It is less intoxicating than alcohol. Why is it illegal?
How would marijuana solve the economic woes of the country you ask? First, it would get rid of all the non-violent marijuana “criminals” behind bars. Second, it would stop the paying of federal agencies to hunt down innocent civilians. Third, it could be grown as a crop creating many more jobs in the farming sector. Fourth, it would create jobs in the pulp/paper industry. New businesses would crop up to create marijuana processing machines. Operators would be employed to run these machines. Distributors would sell and market the items. Fifth, new industries would be created for legal hemp lotions, oils, clothes, wallets, handbags, flags, etc. Sixth, medical marijuana would be used for a great variety of ailments including insomnia, glucoma, pain. This would free up doctors, because patients would self medicate. All of these things would be taxable, meaning instead of money being spent by the government, money would be coming in to the government. Most importantly this plant grows in 30-60 days and can be grown year round indoor or outdoor making it renewable.
The most important thing though is that it would get rid of the violence that stems from the illegal drug trade of marijuana, effectively cutting off the money supply of drug dealers. If it was regulated and taxed like cigarettes or alcohol, the country would be much richer and the people much happier.
Tags: marijuana collective, medical marijuana
Medical Marijuana Tinctures
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Many medical marijuana patients are happy to learn about tinctures of cannabis. A tincture is an alcohol-based liquid mixture. It is like a concentrated extract. Currently there are tinctures of cannabis made with alcohol, oil or glycerin. It is a very effective way to use medical cannabis.
If you told your Grandmother to smoke a joint for her glaucoma she would likely say “No Way!” That is probably because she grew up in the 1930's when everyone thought marijuana would turn you stark raving mad. And that was after marijuana and its derivatives were used in tinctures and tonics. Let me explain. In the 1800's tonics and medicines were widely available over the counter which often contained THC. They were for everything from migraines to stomach aches. After the marijuana tax act in 1937, marijuana was forgotten as anything medicinal.
What Grandma doesn't realize is that marijuana would reduce the ocular pressure inside her eyes. It is often used for this exact purpose. Marijuana has been used as a medicinal herb for over 12,000 years! Twelve of the fifty states has laws regulating the use of medical marijuana. California was the first state to legalize its use in 1996 along with Washington. The other states that followed are Oregon, Maine, Alaska, Nevada, Colorado, Hawaii, Vermont, Montana, Rhode Island and New Mexico. All states have different laws concerning its use for medicinal purposes but, all have decriminalized it for patients with a prescription. There are clubs and buyers clubs that are licensed in these states for the sales of medical marijuana. They have restrictions and have a maximum amount they are allowed to have in their business. Many of these clubs are still raided by the DEA and people taken to jail. These laws are all local government laws. Marijuana is illegal in any use or form under federal law. For example, California has enacted proposition 215 which allows medical access to the herb, but federal officials have threatened prosecution to any doctors who prescribe it. Thus it is in a gray area of the law and will likely stay that way for some time to come.
In 1999, the Institute of Medicine conducted a report thats findings concluded ” The accumulated data indicate a potential therapeutic value for cannabis drugs, particularly for symptoms such as pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation.”
If Grandma is still appalled by the idea, tell her that many people who have cancer find it very helpful with nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy and other drugs. Some anticancer drugs affect the parts of the brain that control vomiting. Other treatments irritate the lining of the stomach. Marijuana calms the stomach and gives back appetite. It has also been used for anorexic patients to help them eat more.Believe it or not has even been given to children with ADHD and ADD. AIDS is another disease that marijuana can calm the effects of. Some people find that instead of taking powerful man made drugs for the side effects of treatments for disease, they can ingest or smoke marijuana, and feel it more a natural approach. It is often ingested in teas or baked goods made with cannabis oils. Cannabis has been found effective for nerve pain when opiate drugs did nothing. And unlike with powerful prescriptions, some of these people say they don't feel high and out of it, they just feel better. Marijuana has been found very useful to people with the crippling disease, multiple sclerosis.
In 2003, Montel Williams told his audience that he uses marijuana to ease the symptoms of his multiple sclerosis. He has said he eats baked goods and smokes marijuana after being on the brink of suicide from the pain he suffers. He has spoken to the U.S. Congress about the valuable effects the herb has on patients with debilitating diseases and pain. Williams says he uses it for tremors, pain and depression in lieu of powerful, addictive narcotics often prescribed. Montel is a powerful activist in getting medical marijuana legalized everywhere in the U.S.
Some groups believe that the pharmaceutical companies are helping stop the decriminalization of medical marijuana. They want their drugs to be bought and used even though they know that a lot of their drugs are highly addictive and each only work for a few medical conditions. Marijuana is known to be helpful for hundreds and hundreds of symptoms and diseases. These companies have tried to duplicate the THC found in marijuana and have made synthetic THC. It is found in pill form known as marinol. Users say that the drug does not compare to the real thing and does not work as well as cannabis.
As the government tries to stop patients from exercising their right to choose what medicines they use, we are stopping the people of this free country from being well and living prosperously.
Tags: cannabis card, cannabis club, Marijuana Doctor
Medical Marijuana and Cancer
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Dr. Donald Tashkin, Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, has been studying the effects of marijuana smoke since the 1970’s. He was the lead investigator on the initial studies that identified the toxic components in marijuana smoke. He also reported the the studies that showed that there is damage from the smoke to the cells that line the upper airways of the lungs. His findings have also found that marijuana smokers are more likely than non-smokers to have cough, sputum production, and wheezing.
The Obama administration has decided not to prosecute medical marijuana users, in addition to medical marijuana dealers. Some political pundits believe that this is a move towards legalizing marijuana, however given the serious impact that the tobacco industry has had on the health of people in this country, what would the legalization of marijuana mean for Americans?
Specifically, what are the health effects of smoking marijuana?
While the media often portrays marijuana as a “soft drug”, marijuana can have devastating health effects on the casual user, despite legitimate medicinal uses of marijuana, such as for cancer and AIDS patients who have lost their appetite. Marijuana can have powerful psychoactive effects, due to the presence of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, a psychoactive compound. The psychoactive effects of marijuana which include changes in perception, in addition to impairment in psychomotor coordination, can lead to motor vehicle accidents.
The long-term effects of marijuana may be devastating in a habitual user. While some studies have shown an increased rate of lung cancer among marijuana users who vaporize their marijuana, perhaps as high as 5.7 times the risk of lung cancer compared to people who do not smoke marijuana, other studies have not found an association. Surprisingly, marijuana contains some of the cancer causing compounds containing tobacco. Given the serious concerns, more studies need to evaluate the effect of marijuana on the human lung, and whether marijuana it increases the incidence of cancer.
However, the inhalation of any vaporized organic material over a long period of time made likely lead to significant lung disease, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and a higher number of chest colds. Some studies showed that chronic marijuana users have higher rates of respiratory illness.
Marijuana use has been found to be associated with anxiety, psychosis, and depression. However, it is still controversy over whether marijuana leads to the psychological disorders, or whether marijuana users are attempting to self medicate themselves for these disorders which developed before they began using marijuana. Because marijuana is a psychoactive substance, the long-term effects of marijuana on the brain could alter a person's ability to think. Clearly, more studies are needed on a long-term effects of marijuana on both a person's physical and mental health, given the possibility that marijuana use may be decriminalized in the United States.
Sources:
Legalized marijuana? We may already be on the way
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/legalized-marijuana/story?id=8912772
Cannabis (drug)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_%28drug%29
What Are The Long-term Effects Of Marijuana?
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/pot/f/mjp_faq14.htm
Tags: Medical Marijuana and Cancer
Medical Cannabis Vs. Un-united States
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As California gets ready to address the outright legalization of Cannabis in November 2010. L.A.'s D.A. Steve Cooley has decided to take a slightly different approach regarding the medical marijuana clubs. Mr. Cooley would like to close down every and all legal medical marijuana collectives in the greater L.A. county area. Despite the fact that 74% of the voting public are fine with the current system.
Cannabis is a plant that has a recorded history of medical use that can be dated back to 4,000 years ago. It has been used for its various medicinal exercises all over the world, in places such as China, the Middle East, and India. People in China used cannabis to treat ailments like malaria (a disease that kills more than a million people a year (WHO)). Not a single case of overdosing on marijuana has occurred since its noted history, making it one of the safest known drugs. However, back in the 1930s, the U.S. government saw marijuana as a major national threat, and made it illegal. Even with its criminalization, almost half of America has tried marijuana at least once. The outlawing of marijuana was a process that was driven by yellow journalism, ignorance, and bigotry, and it's obvious that these laws need to change.
The two main people that drove marijuana to its criminalization were Harry Anslinger and William Randolph Hearst. Anslinger was the first Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Narcotics back in 1930. Hearst was a corporate tycoon who owned newspapers all over the country. Anslinger knew that the department he just became head of wouldn't survive on the seizures of opium and cocaine alone, so he started rallying against marijuana, a drug that he knew came from Indians, blacks, and Hispanics. William Hearst helped him in his campaigns, because hemp (which is commonly associated with marijuana) was a major competitor to paper mills, a big part of Hearst's newspapers. Harry Anslinger approached Congress several times, where he made such statements as, “reefer makes darkies think they're as good as white men,” and, “there are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others”. William Hearst's statements were no better, as he launched nationwide ads in his papers, making statements like, “marijuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice”. These statements of racism, along with countless other lies helped make marijuana illegal in 1937, despite its vast medical uses.
One primary reason marijuana should be at least nationally decriminalized is the fact that there is a long list of diseases and health problems that could be treated through cannabis, and the list grows larger every day. Cannabis can be used to prevent blindness for glaucoma patients. It is a very utilizable drug for muscle relaxation. Many studies show that people with rheumatism could benefit from taking marijuana. Another role for cannabis as a medicine is its use for cancer and AIDS patients. Chronic loss of appetite associated with chemotherapy and AIDS have been proven to be successfully countered by marijuana use. Nausea, which is also associated as a side effect with chemotherapy, has also been proven to be offset due to taking cannabis medicinally. Marijuana is the best known bronchial dilator, helping asthma patients (cannabis has been recorded to even completely stop asthma attacks). These are just a few examples of cannabis' countless medicinal purposes.
Another reason marijuana laws needs to change is the fact that they are one of, if not the most commonly broken laws in the United States. This might sound like a somewhat outlandish reason, but the Office of National Drug Control Policy says that almost 95 percent of American ages 12 and older have tried marijuana at least once of their lifetime. This accounts for 40 percent of America's total population. It doesn't need to be said that 40 percent of America isn't criminal. Neither is the 64 percent of people ages 19-28 who say they smoke marijuana on a regular basis. For the most part marijuana users are good, upstanding citizens. Still, more than 829,000 people were arrested for marijuana related crimes in 2006 (NORML), which exceeded the number of people that went to jail for all violent crimes combined, including murder, manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. People who get their driver's licenses taken away for marijuana related crimes are far less likely to receive a workers license (saying you can drive for working purposes) than those convicted of DUIs (even if a motor vehicle wasn't involved when caught with cannabis).
Marijuana has been around for a long time, and it has only been illegal for less than one percent of it's tenure of use. It's a drug that can be used for a variety of ailments, and it is even safer to use than all the drugs approved by the FDA. These laws that were established on racism and corporate greed seventy years ago are still affecting the lives of good people today, who are forced into prisons with murderers and rapists. The consequences of being caught with marijuana are far worse than the consequences of actually taking the drug, and that is why marijuana laws need some serious revising.
Works Cited
The Office of National Drug Control Policy:
Drug War Rant:
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws:
Jack Herer.com
Tags: Medical Marijuana Cards, Medical_Marijuana_Doctors
Medical Marijuana … Controversial ?
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Are you one of the millions of Americans that is suffering from sleeplessness or insomnia? It is estimated that one-third of all adults have insomnia.
Medical marijuana patients usually find that sleep is a wonderful benefit of cannabis. Many chronic pain patients experience insomnia due to their pain and find excellent relief and sleep when using cannabis.
While many people are finding relief from terrible diseases by smoking marijuana, there are also many people who believe that legislators should allow researchers more freedom to research this drug for legal medicinal usage. To date, 13 states have declared medical marijuana legal to use. The Supreme Court recently ruled that the federal government can continue to ban the use of medical marijuana. Justice Scalia writes that the federal government also has, under the commerce clause, the power to prohibit interstate commerce of this drug. Personal use of marijuana may not be commerce, but if our drug laws were working correctly, they would be perfectly enforced. Even as evidence mounts concerning the benefits of marijuana as a medicine, federal officials and agencies continue to bury their heads in the sand.
Written records on medicinal marijuana stretch back over 2000 years. It was first discovered in print in the 2nd century in a Chinese book of medicine. As far back as 1611, this plant was cultivated for its fiber in Jamestown, Virginia. In the 19th century, it was used to treat such ailments as spastic conditions, labor pains, insomnia, and even helped with appetite. It is still used as a medicine in the Middle East and Asia. Although modern technology medicine does not refer back to the medical practices of ancient civilizations, this only confirms that marijuana has had a significant medical history, and claims of its medicinal use were not just pulled out of nowhere.
Marijuana is a drug that comes from the dried, cut leaves of the hemp plant known as “cannabis sativa”. It goes by a number of street names such as “grass”, “Mary Jane”, “pot”, “reefer”, “herb”, and “weed”. The active ingredient in marijuana is delta tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This ingredient targets Cannabinoid receptors that have been proven to cut tumor growth in half in common lung cancer. It has also been tested and researchers at Harvard University say it also significantly reduces the cancer's ability to spread. Cannabinoids are chemical substances in cannabis, or marijuana. Endocannabinoids are cannabinoids that are produced naturally in the body.
Montel Williams is a huge activist for legalizing medicinal marijuana since he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999. He has debilitating knee and foot pain and has tried Oxycontin and a variety of other drugs with no relief. Then a doctor suggested he smoke pot and “immediately I slept through the night.” Williams is a registered medical marijuana user in California. He began pushing for medical marijuana laws after being stopped at a Detroit airport by an Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms officer for carrying drug paraphernalia. His charges were later dropped.
Williams told a Senate panel about his chronic pain and urged New Jersey to join 12 other states that have enacted these laws. The states that have currently legalized medical marijuana are: California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Maine, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Montana, Vermont, and Rhode Island. New Mexico is planning on signing a bill in 2008. Williams will speak at two events in Trenton; a Drug Policy Alliance-sponsored news conference and a Senate hearing. Governor Jon S. Corzine of New Jersey said last year that he would sign a medical marijuana bill into law. “I break the law every day and I'll continue to break the law.” (Montel Williams)
This bill, sponsored by Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) lists cancer, HIV and AIDS, chronic pain, severe nausea, persistent muscle spasms and even glaucoma as conditions eligible for medical marijuana use. The legislation has never received a hearing, even though it has long been proposed. A 2002 poll found that 82 percent of the people in New Jersey supported allowing access to medical marijuana. Terrance P. Farley, an Ocean County assistant prosecutor told the Associated Press that the bill is only an attempt to legalize drugs. “This is how they're trying to get marijuana legalized”, he said.
Marijuana is listed in Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the most restrictive schedule. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) supports that placement because marijuana met the 3 criteria about this drug: 1) marijuana has high potential for abuse, 2) the drug has no currently accepted medical use in treatment, and 3) it has a lack of accepted safe use under medical supervision. The Federal government should, at the very least, possibly downgrade it to a Schedule II, since it has been accepted for medical use in the United States. A past evaluation by several agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), concluded that supported use of medical marijuana has no sound scientific studies and no human or animal data supported the safety or efficacy for general use.
During the Prohibition of Alcohol period (1920-1933), psychoactive properties of marijuana were left to criticism by the same forces that opposed the consumption of alcohol. Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937, which made continual use of marijuana a criminal act. During hearings held before this act, a lone opponent, a representative of the American Medical Association (AMA), argued that banning marijuana should exempt it for medical purposes, at least. His testimony included the following:
There is positively no evidence to indicate the abuse of
cannabis (marijuana) as a medicinal agent or to show that
its medicinal use is leading to the development of cannabis
addiction. Cannabis at the present time is slightly used for
medicinal purposes, but it would seem worthwhile to main-
tain its status as a medicinal agent…. There is a possibility
that a re-study of the drug by modern means may show
other advantages to be derived from its medicinal use.
Marijuana was removed from the American pharmacopoeia in 1941, over AMA objections, and hope for further research or legal medical use came to a halt. In 1970, Congress restructured the drug laws with the Controlled Substances Act, which kept marijuana banned for medical use.
Marijuana has many substitutes, such as Marinol. Swallowing this substance, however, takes longer to work, has more adverse side effects and is more expensive. A year's supply can cost up to $15,000; too much, some said, for a flawed version of a weed that can be grown in any backyard. One reason many prefer to smoke marijuana rather than swallow Marinol is that it allows them to regulate the amount of THC that goes into their systems. Smoking allows an instant transmission of this ingredient to sites in the brain that control nausea, so when the anti-nausea effect wears off, they only need to smoke a little more if needed. Individual patients respond differently to different doses, and they can avoid taking too much, which is not possible with Marinol.
On the other hand, although several states have passed legal drug laws making smoked marijuana available for various medical conditions, the FDA, the DEA and the Office of National Drug Control Policy do not support the use of smoked marijuana for medicinal purposes. These measures go against their efforts to ensure that medications are proven safe and effective under the standards of the FD&C Act. Gov. Jon S. Corzine's proposal would allow chronically ill patients to medicinally smoke, eat or take marijuana in tablets. The program would be monitored by the State Health Department. The amount of marijuana would be capped at 1 ounce and the patients would be issued registered medical marijuana user cards. Bertha Madras, deputy director for demand reduction at the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said in a telephone interview: “We cannot base medical decisions on anecdotes.”
Researchers do not know why THC inhibits tumor growth; they say it is possible the substance activates molecules that arrest cell cycles. It may also interfere with angiogenesis and vascularization, which promotes the growth of cancer. Anju Preet, Ph.D., a researcher in the Division of Experimental Medicine says much work is needed to pave the pathway by which THC functions. “The beauty of this study is that we are showing that a substance of abuse, if used prudently, may offer a new road to therapy against lung cancer.” People hope that the federal courts and legislators will be allowed to take a closer look at the benefits, examine the evidence and conclude that we only want safe pain relief for the people who need it the most.
Tags: Marijuana Collectives, medical marijuana
Medical Cannabis Vs. Western Medicine
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Marijuana Medicine has a long history of helping. Marijuana is not physically addictive despite what many anti-marijuana people want us to believe|Marijuana users can use it regularly, even multiple times daily, without any problem giving it up} A very small minority of people (heavy chronic users)| Since most people who use marijuana are not heavy chronic users this is not common at all. If you are concerned about any possibility of psychological addiction it is very easily avoided by taking time off from regular use. For instance, if you use medical Cannabis every day, you should take one day off per week or take one week off every three months.
Over the past twenty-seven years there has been much debate in America about medicinal marijuana and its effects on the human body. Many people argue that marijuana is an effective treatment for those suffering from Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease. While marijuana may work well for these patients, it is not a remedy for all.
Marijuana has many soothing effects, that can ease the pain of a chronic illness, or a severe injury. A friend of mine, named “Gary”, used prescribed medical marijuana pills to help his suffering from pancreatic cancer. He told me on many occasions how the pills turned the degree of his pain down, and allowed him to function throughout a day without too much trouble. He also revealed that the pills increased his appetite, which had been severely degraded as a result of his chemo treatments. They were specially manufactured pills that did not contain the element, THC .
THC is a hallucinogen that produces a sense of euphoria, with a heightened stress on the five major senses. It can, however, cause many people under its effect to experience a heightened paranoia, or fear of things around them. With all of these fun, but somewhat dangerous effects, marijuana in medical form has to be altered.
The benefits of medical marijuana are great, but the negative influences on one's psychology are a concern. Long term use of the drug can lead to memory loss, both short term and long term. It also creates a sense of complacency, or lack of will. Science has not proven if marijuana, when smoked, causes lung cancer, but many report experiencing shortness of breath and other breathing problems associated with smoking it.
The original ban on marijuana in the United States began in 1937 when the Roosevelt administration crafted the first national US law making cannabis possession illegal in the US. This was enforced by waging an un-payable tax. Since being made illegal, thousands of American citizens have been sent to jail or hit with huge fines for the possession and cultivation of Marijuana. Recent studies have shed light on the fact that marijuana is currently the number one cash crop in the United States.
In conclusion, medical marijuana can be a viable alternative to mainstream medicine for those who can benefit from its effects. People must use caution however, as marijuana can lead to a devastating end if used in the wrong manner. The fact of the matter is, if you are incoherent you shouldn't operate machinery, or do anything potentially dangerous to yourself or others. It is my personal hope that marijuana can be used to help those who need it most.
DLP
Tags: ailments, chronic users, irritability, marijuana medicine, marijuana users, medical marijuana, medicine, moodiness, multiple times, psychological addiction, small minority, taking time, three months
